My dad’s a born troublemaker. He used to make a habit, back in 1982, of saying that he was rooting for Gerry Cooney to win over Larry Holmes in the boxing match because Cooney was white, and he was white.
When he got back the appropriate level of shock from his audience, he’d say, “Now wait. If I said I was rooting for Cooney because he’s Irish and I’m Irish, you’d have no problems with it. If I said it was because he’s from Long Island and I’m from Long Island, it’d be okay. If I said it was because he’s 6’6 and I’m 6’6…” and by that point people got the general point he was trying to make.
I was reminded of this when listening to Mitt Romeny’s speech on religion, but for all the wrong reasons. Do I vote for Giuliani because he’s a white male from New York? Should people vote for Romney because his faith really isn’t that far from his?
And in the case of ol’ Mitt, should I support someone who doesn’t want to identify with me because I don’t believe in the same god he does? (More atheists in this country than, say, Mormons.)
How about this: vote for the guy who will do the best at the job and best live up to the ideals we profess.
Just for the novelty of it all.
I could never knowingly vote for an atheist for President.
Should people vote for Romney because his faith really isn’t that far from his?
Is that a typo or am I missing something?
I missed Romney’s speech and I haven’t been too impressed with him…but Huckabee lost whatever slim chance he had to get my vote with his explicit attacks on Mormons.
I’m a little amazed, actually, at the overt prejudice against Mormons. Their religion is no sillier than most religions and in my experience they are no more irritating about pushing it than most atheists I know, so it’s an irrelevancy in my book.
All things being equal, I’d rather a president believe in some higher power than themselves but a qualified atheist is better than an incompetent believer.
Is that a typo or am I missing something?
It is. It should read “Should people vote for Romney because his faith really isn’t that far from theirs?” My bad, I’ll fix it.
I could never knowingly vote for an atheist for President.
Okay, please, I have to know– why is that?
I’m curious about that too. As I said, it unnerves me a bit to have a president who doesn’t believe in a higher power–not for the usual religious reasons. It’s just that it would make him the most powerful being in the known universe and that’s more than most people can handle.
In my opinion, an atheist President would probably feel that he’s the highest moral authority he has to answer to. Like Bill says, that unnerves me.
Frankly, I don’t like atheists. Despite their constant harping about how religious people get all up in their grill spreading the word of God, they’re not much better. I’ve yet to meet one (that I know of) who doesn’t try to belittle me or my beliefs simply because they don’t believe. When I start meeting nicer atheists, I’ll adjust my attitude.
Well, you’ve probably met lots of people who don’t talk about their religion one way or another. It’s possible that some are atheists.
Well, I did say that I know of, and I also stated that I couldn’t knowingly vote for an atheist.
I’m sure there are nice atheists, just as I sure there are nice Christians, Jews and heck, even Satan worshippers.
Posted by: eclark1849
I’m sure there are nice atheists, just as I sure there are nice Christians, Jews and heck, even Satan worshippers.
And flaming asshole incompetent evil soi-disant Christians, like our current President.
Whenever i find myself inadvertently thinking of the Great Decider (something i try to avoid doing, unless the date 20 January 2009 is part of the thought), somehow i’m reminded of the county Sheriff – in S.C, i think – who was busted on Federal charges of misfeasance, malfeasance and non-feasance in office. That is, he didn’t do much of what he was supposed to, a lot of what he *did* do was criminal, and he messed up most everything he did that he *tried* to do honestly.
That’s our W…
The defense rests your Honor…